Apparatus for waving hair



April 1931. I v. E. TIRACCHINI APPARATUS FOR WAVING HAIR Filed Jan. 10, 1930 2 Sheets$hee l Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STAT-ES VASCO ERNESTO TIRACCHINI, OF LONDON, ENGLAND APPARATUS FOR WAVING HAIR Application filed January 10, 1930, Serial No. 419,849, and in Great Britain January 14, 1928.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to apparatus for waiving hair of the type in which-a twisted tress of hair is surrounded by a tube and is subjected to the direct action of a heating medium.

Heretofore it has been usual to supply the tress tube with steam which has either been generated at a distance from the head of the subject and led to the tress tubes by suitable conduits or has been generated insitu by means of a heating element which surrounded each tress tube. It was found necessary however with the above arrangement to treat the hair also with chemicals in order that the resulting wave should have substantial permanence.

It has also been proposed in an arrangement in which each tress tube has been surrounded by a heating element to fill the tube with water which was boiled in contact with the twisted tress of hair. It was found that with such an arrangement the tress of hair was liable to be treated unevenly owing to the fact that after a lapse of time a part of the tress projected out of the water, furthermore the public were prejudiced against the use of the apparatus owing to the presence of the heating elements in close proximity to the scalp.

According to this invention a method of curling hair comprises surrounding a twisted trees of hair by a tress tube in a liquid tight manner and in passing a stream of heated liquid through said tube in contact with said tress. V r

A feature of the method according to this invention consists in that the liquid is conveved from a heater which is situated remote from the tress tube through a conduit which communicates with both these parts.

It has been found that when water is used as the heating liquid the most durable results are obtained if the water in contact with the hair is at a temperature in the neighbourhood of 210 F. and a feature of the invention consists in boiling the water in the heater and lea ding the boiling water to the tress tube.

A liquid heater for use in the method described above comprises a liquid container, an inlet for the liquid at the bottom of the posed as to be in the path of the stream of liquid which enters said inlet. Preferably the heating element is arrange to extend from the bottom of the container to short distance from the top thereof and the inlet for the liquid is arranged so as to direct the liquid in contact with the heating element from the bottom to the topthereof, and the opening for the outlet conduit is arranged immediately overthe top of the element whereby the liquid is led away from the container immediately it has reached its maximum temperature.

Other features of the invention are set forth in the following description and claims. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a water heater constructed accord ing to this invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical section of an alternative water heater according to this inven tion, Figure 4 is a section on the line k4: of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a tress tube,

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the mounting and disposal of the various parts of a hair curling apparatus according to this invention.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, a water heater is provided in the form of acylindrical container 1 which is closed at each end. A conduit 2 is arranged for supplying liquid to the interior of the container and extends axially from the top towards the bottom thereof. Electric heating elements 3 are disposed around said conduit 2 and extend from the bottom of the container to a suitable distance from the top thereof. An outlet conduit f extends through the top of the container and terminates at a point at a short distance above the top of the elec tric heating element. With this arrange ment, water is withdrawn from the container can when it has reached its maximum temperature. Disposed also above the top of the heating element is a branch pipe 5 which houses a thermometer the temperature re sponsive element of which extends into the container. A second branch pipe 6 also coinmunicates with the interior of the container and is provided at its outer end with a relief valve 7. A water level gauge 8 is carried on the outside of the container and extends from the top thereof to a short distance below the upper end of the electric heating elements. The said container is carried by two clips 9 which are attached to a standard 10 by means of cross bars 11. The cross bars 11 extend on each side of the standard and those ends remote from the container carry a casing 12 which houses the controls for the water supply and electric supply. The inlet conduit extends from the water container above the said casing and then downwardly to a control cock in said casing. The movable member of the control cook 13 is operatively connected to the movable member of a rheostat switch 14. Means (not shown) are provided whereby the control cock can be adjusted in relation to the means which connect it to the rheostat whereby the flow of water may be adjusted in relation to the energy supplied to the electric heating elements. A water supply pipe 15 projects below the said casing and may be connected to the water main by a flexible rubber pipe (not shown).

In Fi re 3 the electric heating element 3 is cylin rical in formation and is arranged with its axis extending across the lower end of the container 1. The inlet conduit 2 for the water comprises a sleeve which surrounds the heating element and of such a size as to leave a space around the element through which the water flows. A pressure gauge 16 and relief valve 7 are carried 111 the upper wall of the container. The outlet conduit 4 extends through the top of the container and is provided with an enlarged pipe 17 which terminates at a short distance above the heating element. A thermostat 18 is provided for controlling the temperature of the liquid in the container. The temperature responsive element 19 of the thermostat extends upwardly into the enlarged pipe 17. With this arrangement the temperature of the water as it leaves the container is maintained at the desired point. The low of water to the inlet conduit 2 is controlled by a suitable cock (not shown). In both of the arrangements above described the control cock for the supply of water is initially set so that the water just reaches the boiling point as it leaves the container.

Considering now Figure 6 it will be seen that the standard 10 which supports the water heater also carries a header 20 which is circular in formation. The header 20 is connected to the outlet conduit 4 by means of a tube 21. A number of nipples 22 controlled by cocks 23 are provided on the header and each of said nipples is connected to the inlet of a tress tube 2 1 by flexible pipes 25. The outlets of the tress tubes are connected to an outlet manifold 26 which is supported on said standard and communi cates with a waste pipe 27. The tube 21 which connects the water heater with the header may be surrounded by an electric heating element 28 which maintains the water at a boiling temperature until it comes in contact with the tress of hair in the tress tube. The header also may be provided with a heating element.

Each hair-treating device comprises a rubber cup 30 and a metal (preferably aluminium) tube 24L open at one end (this end being slightly flared or provided with an external head 31) has an inlet nipple 32 near one end and an outlet nipple 33 near the other. The rubber cup has a central hole 34 and its walls are sufliciently thin to enable them to be turned or folded back. The tress of hair to be treated is threaded through the central hole with the interior of the cup facing away from the head, and coiled upon a spindle in the usual manner. The open end of the metal tube is then passed over the coil of hair and placed against the folded-back rim of the cup which rim is folded forward over the flared or beaded edge of the tubemouth, being thereby secured firmly to the cup.

All the tubes are suspended by S-shaped metal pipes 29 from the header. The pipes 25 exten through the pipes 29.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to details of construction of the above devices without departing from the scope of this invention. For example instead of connecting the water heater to the water main it may be initially filled with water and the common waste pipe may be connected to the inlet of said water heater. Various parts of the water system may be so disposed that a continuous circulation of water is effected by thermosiphon.

I claim 1. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a liquid heater, a conduit one end of which is disposed beneath the surface of the liquid and said liquid heater, and the other end of which is connected to said tress tube, means for circulating liquid through said heater, conduit and tress tube, means for controlling the rate of flow of the liquid through said tress tube, and a conduit loading from said tress tube to a waste pipe.

2. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a water-tight seal between said tube and a neonates tress therein, a water heater, means for maintaining water at a boiling temperature in said water heater, a conduit one end of which is disposed beneath the surface of the boiling water in said heater and the other end of which is connected to said tress tube, means for circulating the water through said heater and tress tube, means for controlling the rate of flow of the liquid through said tress tube and a conduit leading from said tress tube to a waste pipe.

3. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a liquid heater, a conduit one end of which is disposed beneath the surface of the liquid in said liquid heater, and the otherend of which is connected to said tress tube, which conduit is of such a length that the heater may be disposed remote from the tress tube, means for circulating liquid through said heater, conduit and tress tube, means for controlling the rate of flow of the liquid through said tress tube, and a conduit leading from said tress tube to a waste pipe.

4. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a water-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a water heater, a thermostat for maintaining the temperature of the water in the container in the neighborhood of its boiling point, a conduit one end of which is dis posed beneath the surface of the boiling water in said heater and the other of which is connected to said tress. tube, means for circulating the water through said heater and tress tube, means for controlling the rate of low or" the liquid through said tress tube and a conduit leading from said tress tube to a waste pipe.

5. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for efl'ecting a; liquid-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a liquid container, an inlet for liquid at the bottom of said container, an outlet conduit Which extends through the container and terminates at a distance away from the top thereof, an electric heating element in said container so as to be in the path of the stream of liquid which enters said inlet, means for connecting said conduit to said tress tube and means for circulating liq d through said container, conduit and tress tube.

combination a tress tube, means for v a liquid-tight seal between saic tube Lllci a tress therein, a liquid container, an inlet for liquid at the bottom of said container, an outlet conduit which extends throngh the container and terminates at a distance away from the top thereof, an electric heating element in said container so as to be in the path of the stream of liquid which enters said inlet, means for connecting said co duit to said tress tube, means for circulating liquid through said container, conduit and tress tube, and a relief valve disposed at the upper extremity of the container.

7. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a liquid container, an inlet for liquid at the bottom of said container, an outlet conduit which extends through the container and terminates at a distance away from the top thereof, an electric heating element in said containerso as to be in the path of the stream of liquid which enters said inlet, means for connecting said conduit to said tress tube, means for circulating liquid through said container, conduit and tress tube and a relief valve pressure gauge and thermometer disposed at the upper extremity of the container.

8. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a liquid container, an inlet for liquid at the bottom of said container, an outlet conduit which extends through the container and terminates at a distance away from the top thereof, an electric heating element in said container so as to be in the path of the stream of liquid which enters said inlet, means for connecting said conduit to said tress tube, means for circulating liquid through said container, conduit and tress tube, and a thermostat operated by the temper-ature of the liquid in the container for controlling the electric circuit of the electric heater.

9. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a tubular liquid container closed at each end, an inlet pipe for the liquid extending up from the bottom of the container, a tubular electric element surrounding said inlet pipe and extending to a short distance oil the top of the container, an outlet conduit extending downwardly from the top of the container to a short distance from the top of the tubular element, means for connecting said outlet conduit to the tress tube and means for circulating liquid through said heater, conduit and tress tube.

10. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a liquid container, a valve controlled inlet port at the bottom of the container, a tubular electric heating element arranged over said valve controlled port, an outlet conduitextending downwardly from the top of the container to a short distance from the top of the tubular heating element, a switch connected in circuit with said heater, means for interconnecting said switch with said valve controlled inlet port, means for connecting said outlet conduit to said tress tube and means for circulating the liquid through said conduit heater and tress tube.

11. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between the tube and a tress therein, a liquid container, a valve controlled inletport at the bottom of the container, a tubular electric heating element, arranged over said valve controlled port, an outlet conduit extending downwardly from the top of the container to a short distance from the top of the tubular heating element, a switch connected in circuit with said heater, means for adjustably interconnecting said switch with said valve controlled inlet port, means for connecting said outlet conduit to said tress tube and means for circulating the liquid through said conduit heater and tress tube.

12. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a water-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, an electrically heated water container, an electrically heated conduit in communication with said tress tube and water container, means for circulating the water through said heater and tress tube at such a speed and heating it at such a rate that it is in the region of its boiling point when it contacts with said tress.

13. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a tubular liquid container closed at each end, an inlet pipe for the liquid extending up from the bottom of the container, a tubular electric element surround- H ing said inlet pipe and extending to a short distance off the top of the container, an outlet conduit extending downwardly from the top of the container to a short distance from the top of the tubular element, means for connecting said outlet conduit to the tress tube, means for circulating liquid through said heater, conduit and tress tube and a liquid level gauge disposed on said container near the top of the heating element.

14. A hair waving apparatus comprlslng in combination a tress tube, means for effectin g a liquid-tight seal between said tube and a tress therein. a liquid heater, a conduit one end of which is disposed beneath the surface of the liquid and said liquid heater, and the other end of which is connected to said tress tube. which conduit is of such a length that the heater may be disposed remote from the tress tube, means for circulating the liquid through said heater, conduit and tress tube, means for controlling the rate of flow of the liquid through said tress tube, a conduit leading from said tress tube to a waste pipe and a portable stand for carrying the water heater at a required distance from the floor level and for suspending the tress tube from a location above the head of a subject.

15. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of tress tubes, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between each tube and a tress therein, a distributing header having a plurality of nipples and disposed above said tress tubes, connecting said nipples to said tress tubes, a liquid heater, a conduit one end of which is disposed beneath the surface of the liquid in said heater and the other end of which is connected to said header, a portable stand for carrying said water heater and said heater and a conduit connecting each tress tube to a waste pipe.

16. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of tress tubes, means for effecting a liquid-tight seal between each tube and a tress therein, a distributing header having a plurality of nipples and disposed above said tress tubes, means for heating said header, connecting said nipples to said tress tubes, a liquid heater, a conduit one end of which is disposed beneath the surface of the liquid in said heater and the other end of which is connected to said header, a portable stand for carrying said water heater and said header and a conduit connecting each tress tube to a waste pipe.

17. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a metal tress tube open at one end, a nipple at each end of said tube, a rubber cup having thin side walls and a relatively thick apertured end wall for encircling a hair tress in a water-tight manner, which cup is arranged for embracing the open end of said tress tube in a water tight manner, a water heater, a. conduit one end of which is disposed beneath the surface of the liquid in said liquid heater and the other end of which is connected to said tress tube, means for circulating liquid through said heater, conduit and tress tube, means for controlling the rate of flow of the liquid through said tress tube and a conduit leading from said tress tube to a waste pipe.

18. A hair waving apparatus comprising in combination a tress tube for effecting a liquidtight seal between said tube and a tress therein, a liquid container, a large bore inlet conduit for the liquid which extends across the bottom of the container, a cylindrical heating element loosely extending into said bore of the inlet conduit, an outlet conduit which extends through the container and terminates at a distance away from the top thereof, means for connecting said outlet conduit to said tress tube andmeans for circulating the liquid through said heater, outlet conduit and tress tube.

19. A hair curling process which comprises submitting a twisted tress of haid to the action of a stream of heated liquid.

20. A hair curling process which comprises submitting a twisted tress of hair to a stream of Water at a temeprature near its boiling point.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

VASGO ERNESTO TIRAGCHINI. 

